I'm a Doctor
by venusnv80
Summary: Contribution to #MaggiePierceWeek: When Maggie comes in contact with a former patient, it allows her to revisit feelings that she had buried deep and embrace them.


**Hi Everyone! This is my contribution to #MaggiePierceWeek on Twitter. This is a little one-shot focusing on Maggie-The Doctor. Maggie's resolve, intelligence and fearlessness as a surgeon should be celebrated. I hope you enjoy. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

"At 1100 please give Sarah 100mg of Lisinopril and monitor her throughout the evening, I will be back in at 8 tomorrow," Dr. Maggie Pierce informed Brooke, the nighttime pediatric nurse on the floor before signing off on her progress notes on her tablet.

"Got it Dr. Pierce," Brooke nodded as Maggie smiled before turning on her heels heading down the marble hallway. The rooms on each side of her children who were receiving care at Grey Sloan looked scared and anxious and it freaked her out. It wasn't that the peds floor was a bad place, it just always made her uneasy. Operating on children was not one of her preferences in her profession. Their bodies were so delicate that it brought an extra level of anxiety to each and every surgery. It had only increased after she became 'Auntie Maggie'. Imaging Zola, Bailey or Ellis lying on one of those surgical tables always shook her to the core. But she's a surgeon and her job was to put all of those sentiments aside and do her job.

Glancing down at her cell phone, she noticed a text from Jackson, 'Have to do a last-minute consult, delayed for about an hour.' She smiled, she could always spend the extra hour doing more research on her rechargeable hearts.

As she rounded the corner, she heard the giggle of a toddler along with the voices of a woman and a man. Glancing over at the room where the giggle came from, a jolt rolled through her as her eyes fell on the couple and their little girl.

She stood in the doorway looking at the brunette woman smile and play with the toddler in one of the hospital's cribs. The little girl had two small pigtails on each side of her head, her cheeks were pink but she looked happy. Dressed in a hospital gown, the little girl seemed in high spirits despite her surroundings. The father sat by the crib, smiling watching his wife and daughter play. Maggie stood in the doorway staring as memories, thoughts and emotions flowed through her mind.

_My plan is to give her a minute._

_She just lost something huge, something that has been with her since Day One._

_Her heart just needs to learn how to beat without that extra load._

_She just needs a little time to adjust.  
_  
"Hi!" a voice broke through her thoughts causing Maggie to shake her head bringing her out of the daze.

"Oh…hi…I'm sorry, I just…I saw you too and I just thought I would say hi, not sure if you remember me but…"

"Dr. Pierce!" the woman stood up from her place next to crib, "of course we remember you!"

Maggie beamed.

"Leo, you remember Dr. Pierce, don't you?"

"Jenna, of course I do. Hello Dr. Pierce, how are you?" Leo smiled back at her warmly, "did someone send you in here? Is something else wrong with Emily other than a fever?" he asked concerned.

Maggie looked over at Emily, "Oh no…no…" she rushed to say, "I just saw her and wanted to say Hello. I am definitely not here about a cardiac case with Emily."

"Oh…ok…whew…thank God," Jenna breathed a sigh of relief, "no offense Dr. Pierce, but we never wanted you to work on Emily again…don't take that as a bad thing, it's just…you know…" Jenna shrugged.

Maggie laughed, "No offense taken, I always hope never to operate on my former patients again as well. So she's here because of a fever?"

"Yes, slightly elevated temperature. Dr. Karev wanted to keep her overnight for observation, that's all," Leo explained.

"That's great," Maggie gazed down at Emily.

"And I guess this is a good time as any," Jenna leaned over picking Emily up out of the crib, "Dr. Pierce, please meet our little girl, Emily Diane," Jenna smiled as the little girl smiled over at Maggie.

Unexpected tears formed in Maggie's eyes, "Diane…that was my mother's name," she stated quietly.

Jenna and Leo grinned, "We know," Jenna answered, "Owen told us your mother's name, a beautiful one and we thought that it was a perfect way to say thank you to you for saving our little girl."

Maggie blinked trying to keep the tears at bay, "Thank you, that's sweet," she nodded.

Maggie reached out to touch Emily's hand and immediately the softness of her fingers made Maggie grin as two cell phones began to ring, "Oh it's my mom," Leo grimaced, "guess I better update her."

"And my sister, I guess I will call her back…"

"I can stay with Jenna for a few moments while you make those calls," Maggie found herself saying.

"Are you sure?" Jenna asked.

"Yes, yes…I would love to spend some time with Emily _Diane_," Maggie grinned.

"Thank you, we won't be long," Jenna handed Emily to Maggie as she and Leo left the room.

"Hi Little Girl," Maggie cooed taking a seat next to the crib with Emily in her arms, "I know you may not remember me, but before you met your parents…you kind of met me. When you were just a tiny baby, I had to do a surgery on you. I had to remove a tumor from your teeny tiny heart," Maggie smiled placing her finger delicately on Emily's chest as the toddler babbled, "the funny thing about that surgery is that it was my first surgery after I lost my mom. It was the first time that I had to look at a heart after mine was shattered."

Emily gently reached up touching Maggie's cheek as she continued, "I can tell you this. I haven't told anyone before, when my mom was diagnosed with cancer and I found out she was dying…I was obsessed with finding the answer. I mean, I'm a surgeon…a _good_ surgeon…I should be able to find the answer to a medical problem and if I couldn't find an answer to the problem, why am I even a doctor?"

Maggie took a deep breath as she continued, "So when she died, I kind of felt like…all of my schooling…all of my intelligence…all of my skill meant absolutely nothing. I couldn't save my mom. What was the point of being Dr. Margaret Pierce if I couldn't save the very person in my life who meant the most to me?"

Maggie looked down at Emily handing her the stuffed rabbit in the chair, "So the days after she died, I felt an emptiness. I couldn't understand my purpose. Then you came along. You and your parents. When I heard about the tumor on your heart, I had to remove it. I had to be part of that surgery. The words came out of my mouth declaring to do the surgery before I even realized what I was saying. But I needed to heal you in order to heal me," Maggie felt a tear slip from her eyes that she quickly wiped away, "so I removed your tumor and stood over you. Waiting for your heart to beat again. To find its way without a huge piece that had become part of it. I was scared," Maggie chuckled, "I was so very scared that maybe once again, I had failed someone but then your heart began to beat and honestly, mine started to beat differently as well. It may have been wrecked, but I felt my own heart being mended slowly after being broken. _You_ helped _me_."

Maggie gazed down at Emily, who smiled back at her, "But not only did you help me start to mend my broken heart just a little, you helped restore my confidence as to why I became a doctor. Why I became a surgeon. I realized that while I couldn't save my mom, I could save you. I could give you a chance at a normal life. A life full of fun, giggles, running through the grass, falling in love, spending time with your own mom loving her and letting her love you. Emily Diane, you and your little heart made me realize that I am a doctor. I am a great one. And although, I may not be able to save everyone—I can save some and _that_ is why people become doctors. That's why _I _became a doctor, because you never know who you may save and what they will mean to you. So thank you, Little Emily Diane."

Emily giggled as she wrapped her little finger around Maggie's.

"Dr. Pierce, thank you so much for staying with Emily!" Jenna walked in as Maggie handed Emily over.

"No, it was fine and I think me and Emily are now the best of friends," Maggie grinned standing up walking towards the door.

"Thank you Dr. Pierce, for what you did for us, Emily is a true gift."

Maggie looked over meeting Emily's big brown eyes, "She truly is."

Maggie had given Emily the gift of a full life and Emily had given Maggie the gift of confidence again. She reminded her—she was a doctor and a damn good one.

**Fin. **

**I hope you enjoyed my one shot and thank you for being a part of my contribution to #MaggiePierceWeek! **


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